Unrest in Darjeeling

An indefinite strike by thousands of tea workers seeking statehood has left eight dead and halted the Darjeeling second flush harvest.

The strike began in early June. In July government officials sent in national police to quell violence but to no avail.

Only 200,000 kilos of second-flush escaped the mayhem, compared to 1.8 million kilos last year. Production costs are projected to rise by $1.50 to $2.30 per kilo (INRs 100 to 150 per kilo).

Factories remail idle and tea shipments are delayed or never departed from the high Himalayan gardens. The tea sector could lose uip to 40% of its revenue as production is expected to decline by at least 20% due to protests and absenteeism.

Tea workers of Nepalese descent want the government to carve Gorkhaland from West Bengal. [DB]